25 May 2010
Products sold in a Chinese medicine shop in Jersey have been found to contain only very small amounts of the banned substance aristolochia.
The results of analysis have just become available for the Chinese medicine product sold recently in the ‘Dr Beijing’ shop in St Helier. Concern arose because it listed the banned substance aristolochia as an ingredient.
The product, Jing Zhi Ke Sou Tan Chuan Wan, is used in Chinese medicine to treat coughs.
Deputy Medical Officer of Health, Dr Susan Turnbull, said "This marked the end of a rigorous process of analysis, performed by the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
"Reassuringly, the analysis showed only tiny amounts of the banned substance aristolochia, almost certainly not sufficient to cause any harm to health."
In March, Dr Turnbull and an officer from the States of Jersey Police visited the shop, following concerns that products had been stocked which contained the substance, which is banned in Jersey under the Medicines Law.
Products containing the banned substance have been removed from the shelves as a result of the visit in March.
gov.je